Donghua Gate

Donghua Gate

Donghua Gate is the eastern gate of the Forbidden City, originally built in the 18th year of the Yongle reign during the Ming Dynasty (1420). Facing east, Donghua Gate stands opposite Xihua Gate to the west. Outside the gate, there is a stone stele inscribed with the command for dismounting; inside, the Golden Water River flows from north to south with a single stone bridge spanning it. To the north of the bridge lies the Three-Gate Pass. To the west is the Hall of Literary Glory, and further south is the Grand Arsenal of the Imperial Guards. Donghua Gate and Xihua Gate share the same design: a rectangular layout, a red city platform, a white jade Sumeru pedestal, and three arched gateways in the center with square exteriors and circular interiors. A tower stands atop the city platform, featuring a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof covered with yellow glazed tiles, with its base enclosed by white marble railings. The tower is five bays wide and three bays deep, with corridors along all sides. The beams and brackets are painted with ink-outlined “big golden-dot” spiral patterns. Originally, the plaque under the eastern eaves reading “Donghua Gate” featured text in Manchu, Mongolian, and Chinese, later reduced to just Manchu and Chinese, and after the Xinhai Revolution, only the Chinese characters in bronze remained.

Since the 23rd year of the Qianlong reign in the Qing Dynasty (1758), the gate tower has been used to store cotton armor for military reviews, which was aired out once every two years. In March of the 28th year of Qianlong (1763), an order was issued to select 70 idle rooms in the enclosure houses along the moat outside Donghua Gate to establish granaries for storing rice allocated to eunuchs, and it was named “Enfeng Granary.” Unlike the other three gates, Donghua Gate is close to the Crown Prince’s residence and was exclusively used for the crown prince’s entry and exit from the Forbidden City, which is why it has only eight rows of door studs.

In the early Qing Dynasty, Donghua Gate was restricted for use only by the Grand Secretariat. By the mid-Qianlong period, high-ranking officials of the first and second ranks who were advanced in age were permitted entry. Among the four gates of the Forbidden City, the Meridian Gate, the Divine Might Gate, and Xihua Gate all have door studs arranged in nine vertical and nine horizontal rows (81 studs, an odd number representing yang), but Donghua Gate has nine vertical and eight horizontal rows (72 studs, an even number representing yin)—a design that is said to be related to its exclusive use by the crown prince. During the Jiaqing era, when the Lin Qing Rebellion occurred, rebel forces were led into the Forbidden City through Donghua Gate by eunuch Liu Decai and others. However, they were spotted by the guards when they argued with a coal peddler at the gate entrance and hurriedly revealed their hidden weapons, prompting the guards to suddenly close the gate. As a result, only a dozen or so rebels made it inside, and the uprising quickly failed.

It is commonly believed that the imperial coffins of deceased emperors in the Qing Dynasty entered and exited through Donghua Gate. Since funeral processions and spirit tablet escorts both passed through this gate, it became colloquially known as the “Ghost Gate.” The number of door studs—seven-two in eight vertical and nine horizontal rows—is even, representing yin. In contrast, the other three gates of the Forbidden City—Meridian Gate, Xihua Gate, and Divine Might Gate—each have ninety studs in nine vertical and nine horizontal rows, an odd number representing yang, which conforms to the established norms.

The relationship between the four palace walls' gates and the main hall, the Hall of Supreme Harmony, forms a system based on the Five Elements’ directional arrangement. There exists a certain mutual generation and overcoming dynamic among them. For palaces, auspiciousness is paramount—the most essential basic requirement. According to Yin-Yang and Five Elements theory, the directions are East, West, South, North, and Center, corresponding respectively to Wood, Metal, Fire, Water, and Earth.

Along the north-south axis, the dynamic is fire generating earth and earth overcoming water—external generating internal, internal overcoming external. Thus, generating-in and overcoming-out creates an auspicious residence. Meanwhile, along the east-west axis, the dynamic is wood overcoming earth and earth generating metal—external overcoming internal, internal generating external. Thus, overcoming-in and generating-out results in an inauspicious residence, particularly severe when wood overcomes earth. To avoid misfortune and invite fortune, ancient Chinese architects applied the principles of mutual generation and overcoming within Yin-Yang and Five Elements theory.

Address: Inside the Forbidden City, Dongcheng District, Beijing

Recommended visit duration: 0.5 hours

Opening Hours:

Follow the opening hours of the Palace Museum

Ticket Information:

No separate ticket required.

The Palace Museum

Palace of Purity and Tranquility (Zhongcui Palace)

Hall of Supreme Harmony

Divine Might Gate (Shenwumen)

Hall of Preserving Harmony

Hall of Martial Valor (Wuying Hall)

Palace of Earthly Tranquility (Kunning Palace)

Hall of Heavenly Purity (Qianqing Palace)

Palace of Compassion and Tranquility (Cining Palace)

Studio of the Three Rarities (Sanxitang)

Hall of Mental Cultivation (Yangxin Hall)

Palace of Longevity and Health (Shou’an Palace)

Imperial Garden of the Forbidden City

Palace of Eternal Longevity (Yongshou Palace)

Meridian Gate (Wumen)

Hall of Literary Glory

Pavilion of Benevolent Virtue

Gate of Supreme Harmony